MAD, The Museum of Arts and Design in New York presents Midcentury Masters, a new series of rare films and documentaries showcasing the revolutionary work of post war architects and designers of the Twentieth Century. Reflecting on the lives of Harry Bertoia, Lina Bo Bardi, Charles and Ray Eames, Buckminster Fuller, the films pays tribute to their creative ways of working which still influence design thinking today.
Charles and Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter, 2011. Photograph © FirstRun Features
Harnessing wartime technologies and industrial materials such as wire mesh, plastics, aluminium and plywood these remarkable designers set about improving the lives of ordinary people with their innovative and, above all, functional styling.
Midcentury Masters highlights the extraordinary output of their work including creative ideas for living spaces, sleek furniture and ground-breaking geodesic structures. Abstract and experimental, these films have paved the way for the advancement of multimedia technologies today.
Harry Bertoia’s Sculpture, 1965. Photograph © FirstRun Features
by Miranda Charalambous
Front page image: Charles and Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter, 2011. Photograph © FirstRun Features
In conjunction with two exhibitions, Atmosphere for Enjoyment: Harry Bertoia’s Environment for Sound and Bent, Cast and Forged: The Jewelry of Harry Bertoia, Midcentury Masters runs from June 16 until June 30, 2016 at
Museum of Arts and Design 2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
info@madmuseum.org
